TOMRA’s New User Interface Enhances Sorting Work Flow

TOMRA Sorting Food has unveiled a new graphical user interface (UI) to help food processors get the most from sorting systems by optimizing work flows and reducing waste to deliver improved profitability.

Called TOMRA ACT, the UI is driven by a recently developed core software system that further sharpens the clarity and boosts confidence experienced by users and operators of the company’s sensor-based sorting and peeling technology. Offering an intuitive way for customers to interact with food sorters and simplify the operating process, the design features easy-to-understand graphics and touch screen tools to give food processors greater control and better feedback to improve product quality and deliver enhanced safety.

TOMRA ACT’s main screen allows operators to see critical sorting information and real-time process data at a glance. Clear information enables improved monitoring, and fast adjustments are possible at any time, so they are always in control.

The state-of-the-art interface is at the core of the company’s latest generation of food sorters, the TOMRA 5A and TOMRA 5B. In certain select prior models, the UI can be installed as an upgrade. This means that an operator can use all TOMRA ACT based machines once trained on one.

John McGloughlin, TOMRA Sorting Food’s head of innovation, commented: “Its development involved many in-depth discussions with customers to ensure we provided them with an interface that improves the performance of their sorters and therefore their businesses. A key insight from the discussions was that small adjustment errors can have major consequences in terms of yield and cost. To overcome this we had to make TOMRA ACT simple, intuitive and straightforward.

He continued: “Food sorting machines contain very complex sensors and we wanted to protect the operator from this, without taking away their ability to set up and optimize the sorter on their own. The aim was to create a system that keeps even a complicated sorting task as simple as possible. I think we have met, and possibly exceeded, that objective.”

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